About
Frydek Heritage Farm is in Sealy, TX and produces pork, chicken, lamb and eggs - all raised on pasture. Chris and Julie Lowe started the farm after moving from Austin when they purchased Julie's grandparents' farm. We strive to provide healthy, nutritious food by using rotational grazing techniques that keep the pastures healthy.
Why did we start farming?
Before the thought of purchasing my grandparents’ farm ever entered our minds, Chris and I (Julie) were living in Austin pursuing our professional careers. Chris in architecture, and myself in market research and then in user experience designing software. (In fact, we still do those things in addition to the farm!)
I am constantly curious and always reading - about business, about self improvement, about getting things done, and about food. Sometime in 2009/2010, I read the Omnivore’s Dilemma. In it, Michael Pollan traces the origin story of several of his meals. Eventually, he goes to work at a sustainable farm. He sees cattle that move on a regular basis, chickens that are following cattle, and a pasture that is thriving.
How I wanted food from that sustainable farm! The book lived up to its title as a dilemma for me. I kid you not, I spent a good two weeks having no idea what to eat.
And I think many people get stuck at this point. Maybe they watched a documentary or experienced shortages at the grocery store, and started wondering about the food system and maybe were disenchanted with it. But it’s hard to know how to move forward.
For Chris and I, we started by making small changes to what we ate and how we shopped for food.
We became members of a CSA for vegetables. We shopped at farmers markets when we could. I learned how to think of recipes as templates that have interchangeable parts. I uncovered “exit strategies” for when I needed to use up the last of the CSA box. I saved bones and veggie scraps in my freezer to make broth. And I settled into my new food routine.
About 5 years after I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma, came the day where we heard from my parents that my grandparents were ready to downsize from their farm in Sealy, TX. It was looking like it would probably be sold. My mom and her siblings didn’t have enough interest in it to maintain it.
Chris and I had talked about having land in the past, but always thinking we would never have time or money for it. However, at this point, we were actually in a position to make purchasing the farm happen.
So we threw a curveball into the family discussions: we were interested in buying the farm. The result? My parents, uncles, and grandparents tried to talk us out of it!
Since you’re reading this, you can probably guess, we didn’t listen to them!
